Reactions to a perceived challenge to identity: a focus on exercise and healthy eating.

Based upon Identity and Social Cognitive theories, two studies examined reactions to challenges to exercise identity (Study 1) and healthy-eater identity (Study 2). For both studies, participants responded to a perceived challenge relative to the health behavior in terms of affect, intentions, self-regulatory efficacy and generated self-regulatory strategies. High identity participants in both studies showed the theory-based, hypothesized response pattern suggesting they were seeking identity-behavior congruency and this response pattern was stronger than exhibited by moderate identity individuals. Collectively, findings support the compatible use of Identity and Social Cognitive theories in studying identity and suggest that identities may be important in understanding health behavior regulation.